Going to the gyno is scary, especially if it’s your first time. But there’s nothing scarier than not listening to your body or having a medical condition go undiagnosed.
We need to remember that it’s important to take care of our body, since we only have one. This includes routine checkups at the gynecologist to ensure that you have a clean pap smear. Paps can tell us if there are precancerous cells or if you have HPV. Exams are also a great time for routine blood work to get tested for any sexually transmitted diseases or infections.
First, you need to pick a gynecologist. It’s actually super easy, especially since everything is now digitized. A simple Google search and a call to the office will allow you to see if your insurance covers that specific provider. From there, make an appointment.
After signing in and filling out all of the pre-visit paperwork, it’s time to head back to your exam room. A nurse will come in and check your blood pressure, height and weight, and do a quick medical history questionnaire. From there, they will ask you to undress and give you a paper gown with the opening in the front. If this is your first time meeting your doctor and you are not comfortable with an exam just yet, let them know and you can meet your doctor and get to know them a little bit beforehand. This will give you the opportunity to assess their bedside manner and give you a better idea if you would like to continue seeing them, or if you think there might be a better fit for you elsewhere.
Once you become comfortable, or if you are comfortable already, it’s time to get checked out.
Your doctor, or physician’s assistant, will start with even more questions. They will ask if you are sexually active, when your last period was and around how many sexual partners you have had. If you are sexually active and have had unprotected sex recently, they may ask you to take a pregnancy test.
This is also where they ask you if you are experiencing any issues with your reproductive organs. It’s important to remain 100% honest with your doctor, as nothing should be off the table. Some great things to talk to them about would be if you are experiencing irregular or missed periods, heavy or painful periods, pain during intercourse or low libido. Do not be embarrassed. This is their career – they have heard it all before.
After discussing any concerns, they will begin with the breast exam. They will feel around for any abnormal lumps around the breast and armpit area and check for discharge from the nipple. This is the perfect time to ask how to complete this assessment at home and ask if there are any fatty tissue build-up areas and where they are so when completing an at-home breast exam, you know what to look for.
Now comes the part that almost everyone dreads. Thankfully, vaginal exams are only done annually, or if you’re having issues with your periods.
The doctor will ask that you lie back and scoot your butt all the way down to the edge of the table until it feels like you’re going to fall off. You’ll put your feet in stirrups so that you are completely open. Don’t worry, most times you’re facing away from the door and there is always a nurse in the room as well as the doctor. The doctor will start by examining the outside of your vagina to see if there are any abnormalities. Next comes the internal exam.
The internal exam is where they will insert a speculum into the vagina to hold it open while they examine the cervix. The speculum is shaped like a duck beak and is usually metal or plastic. They put a lubricant on it so it inserts easily. This part is not painful, but you might experience a little bit of pressure. Next, they will take a small brush to take a sample of cells from the cervix. This is called a Pap smear and the brush they use kind of looks like the brush that you would use to clean out your braces after eating a sandwich. They might also test you for STDs or STIs by completing this same step with a cotton swab.
After the exam, they leave the room and give you a chance to get dressed and clean yourself up. You’ll head to the checkout desk where you will receive any paperwork on follow-up visits, such as an ultrasound or bloodwork.
You can expect a call in the next couple of days to discuss the results of their pap test.
Going to the gyno doesn’t have to be scary, but it is understandable for you to be a little nervous whether this is your first, or tenth, exam.